G-Funk Garage

Pulling a good week at work and pushing hard for my own place again, looking forward to a day of seat time with my car and my new seat.
I seen on facebook the afternoon wet session, and I figured this would be a good idea as this brings back the old U-Drift days and a great starting point for my brother to understand his car a little more. But like me when I first started in my firebird in Hoodoo Resort in Sisters Oregon, I right away want to jump in and prep my car better to get the feeling back.

BEETH MODE ACTIVATED!!!!

I love drifting, it is a great feeling and regardless of the hot day of 100F weather the wind was actually nice today even though it was heavy winds. Today started out as I load my car with tires and equipment drove to the track, unloaded my stuff and tech’d in. I was prepaid for practice and this is where I noticed they changed up the lay out due to the new pavement that was laid. I can easily say after the first ride around the track was only 1 way on and off and its a long, no a very long drive to the practice course.

My first run, I executed the feint drift with no issue but I did notice a huge change in the road when I executed I expected to be more tough to keep her sideways, instead it was easier to keep it rolling across the first corner the manji followed next in which after a few runs is where I had the most fun with, I got a few times I was getting the hang of the control of my car at the end of the drift I ended up spinning out as I tend to give it too much power.

There was a point I lost power to my car as I couldn’t figure it out until I noticed my Apexi SAFC-2 was not on when I attempted to start her. But what was epically funny is I didn’t realize that when I pulled over to troubleshoot the issue I got stuck in the sand trap, it was funny and epic.

After that we all took some lunch as I heard that Waylon had to go home and do a quick fix to his car, after lunch and a battery tie down for my brother, I fixed my Apexi issue and went to the wet track to wash my car from the sand trap.

After that I went back out there to the practice course, my front end is starting to act like a wheel bearing is going out, but I still had more run time and seat time as I was technically the only one running this course at this time, and I learned as more I ran this course the more the white stuff was implanting into my tires and I noticed a huge grip increase I was slowly noticing this earlier from the runs. This course I was inspecting it to be more harsh on my tires, but it was different very different when I ran on it. I had to change things up and learn more of the way of the road, personally I liked it, it was a huge change up just too bad it was a LONG drive to the course as I wanted to wash my tires off to see if my theory was true with the increase of grip when the white powdery stuff got on my tires. All the runs I ran, I should of been through both sets of tires, instead I was barely through one set in fact I now have 2 sets of tires for the night time fun in late July. I had to have at least 20 maybe 25 runs total this day, and as people lined up for the wet course I spent my time in the practice course, few people did show up but not enough to keep me down!

When I learned that the comp was done, and waylon made 15th, I rolled back and give him a hand just in case he needed it showing my team man ship. Charged my gopro and let him use it on his 2 runs then another 2 runs as he had a 1 more time. It was fun, and that was it as we went back it was already 6ish and closing time is at 7.

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Today, May 4th, 2014

I left and headed to Las Vegas Motor Speed Way at 8:30am, waited in the line at 9am after I got in did a quick drivers meet then a parade lapop after that I got and passed tech inspection by 9:30am.

Today, I would have to say was an epic day. Drifting today felt like a rhythm of a good song but it also felt like I was doing Tai Kwan Do in the Katas that I would perform all over again but in my car, as I progressed today I felt more and more in control of the drift even when I had to fight with her some. A lot of it does have to do with the tires when they are really worn and belted I would spin out easier then if they where new with 80lbs of pressure. I finished the first set of tires, in which the first 3 raw cut videos I have uploaded are with them, and the 4th is just after I replaced it with the new chimp tires. After raw #4 and my car cooled down I was starting to really connect the whole course and it was getting awesome, it felt great as I also got to mess around with my line a few times. After the 5th run on the tires I rotated them from left to right and ran them after the mini tandem after 4pm, this is kinda difficult to control but I was able to still fighting her though.

On the first turn at first I started with just a turn and power over to start the drift but I was not going fast enough to connect and as I progressed I started to be in 3rd gear at 55mph  and I would faint into the first and it would sometimes give me the full clearance from the long turn then I would transition to the next corner and I would just clutch kick it and the same for the last one that turns into a nice doughnut  as the turn swirled I treated it as if I was doing doughnuts.

In the end, I put on the last pair of janky spares I had left and it was 5pm so they had to close the track, packed up and left. It was a great day for seat time as I felt like I have progressed alot this run. I can’t wait till May 31. Between now then then I have to get a real racing seats.

I felt great, it was a great day, very positive feels from everyone and it was awesome to hear that I have really improved in my driving. I felt really great!

Couple of videos
First Run Set
Second Run Set
Third Run Set
Fourth Run Set

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If drift is a feeling, I have felt it.

Vegas Drift 031, I actually showed up early this was at the far north side of the drag strip parking lot not the Road Course. Unloaded fairly quickly and waited for the vegas drift driver’s meet. When that was complete when fire safety released the ok for us to go out and have fun I jumped in quickly and jumped out on the main course.  This time I really was feeling the connection. To explain, I attempted The Fient Drift after a few runs and in which it worked I got her going sideways, then to follow up with a power over after the transition to the long sweeper. This is where I would give it too much power and spin out or when I finally connect it my car would straighten out mid sweeper.  From there I would connect to the small hairpin turns at the end of the course where I figured out just using a clutch kick to transfer more power at first does work, but I attempted the brake drift here and it worked a bit better then clutch kicking so I went with it since my rear brake started to work as soon as I showed up this morning.

Not long ago I had rear camber fix by Silhouette Autosports, on top of that I converted to the z31 rear brakes that adjusted my rear tires out just a few mm.  This has changed how the car handles and feels while driving, it feels more like a race car as it has that extra tire laid down with 0 rear camber I can feel the push.

I burned through my first set of tires and I brought over a set of tires to get mounted at the same time the tire machine broke. I then waited for 2 hours and ended up going to Lantera ( Mexican Tire Shop ). Got my first tires mounted and Waylon got his tires mounted.

When I returned I mounted my pair of tires, and went out there again and I had a ride along with another S12 guy, from there he noticed my power did differ from Waylon’s car.  I seem to be improving with my long sweep and different techniques I was using on the course each run I felt like I was getting better, only issue was the course was not good as it was not only covered in dust, the ground was tore up on a few places in which I wasn’t realizing how much of a toll it was killing my front tires as well.

There was a few runs they were letting me go 5 seconds after Waylon goes and during the runs I did a few good runs to a point I was about to catch up to him, it was fun and epic times. I really can’t wait till I can cage up the s12 for fun times like that.

By the time of the end of the set of tires I noticed some understeer issues, and got worse when I switched tires as my front right side was belting.  When I stopped drifting was around 4:30pm is when I tend to give up with the understeer issue. That is when I found the fronts are chucking and the right side was belted to a point of blowing.

End of the day, it felt like a great day was achieved and I was loving the new setup. Next event is April 27^th.  On the outside road course.

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